


"I'm sorry, I couldn't save you"

by None_Of_Your_Biscuits



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Black Cat!Juleka Couffaine, Blood, Gift Fic, Not my AU, Not salt of any kind, Pathera Noire AU, as usual with my fics, for cap, hurt and almost no comfort, i'm actually sorry this time, rose adrien and fu are only mentioned because its 4 am and im tired
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:08:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27205678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/None_Of_Your_Biscuits/pseuds/None_Of_Your_Biscuits
Summary: Blood leaked through the cracks of her fingers, staining her suit an even darker red.
Relationships: Juleka Couffaine & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 8
Kudos: 65





	"I'm sorry, I couldn't save you"

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SorryJustAnotherPerson](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SorryJustAnotherPerson/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The Adventures of Panthera Noire](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23318689) by [SorryJustAnotherPerson](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SorryJustAnotherPerson/pseuds/SorryJustAnotherPerson). 



> For Cap

Ladybug felt like she was watching a train wreck in slow motion. She saw her partner move from the corner of her eye, heard the shout of “Cataclysm!”

Saw Pathera reach her glowing hand out to grab the sword.

Saw her miss, saw the tip of the sword go through Pathera’s torso, right below her heart. 

She saw a flash of sanity as the akuma froze in horror, butterfly mask alighting their face.

Ladybug cried out as her partner let out a choked sound and tripped backwards, Ladybug catching her and quickly laying her down, putting Pathera’s head in her lap.

Ladybug knew she had to apply pressure to the wound but she couldn’t while the sword was stuck in. “Hey k-kitty? I need to pull this out okay? You’re going to live.” Ladybug stuttered and shivered, the only sign that Pathera could hear her was the movement of her eyes.

Ladybug gripped the handle of the weapon and, quickly, but steadily pulled it out. Pathera’s pained wheeze broke Ladybug’s heart.

She pressed her hands over the wound, unsteady, shaking hands. 

Blood leaked through the cracks of her fingers, staining her suit an even darker red. Ladybug mumbled quietly to herself.

She stood, and threw her lucky charm, a chain into the air.

“MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!”

The light washed over her and she rushed back to Pathera’s side.

The wound didn’t heal. 

The wound didn’t fucking heal.

Ladybug kneeled down beside her partner, and Pathera looked at her with misty eyes.

“Hey partner, funny seeing you around here.” Ladybug choked on a sob.

“Hey Mari,” Pathera shifted her eyes over to the dumbstruck hero, “Don’t blame yourself, m’kay?”

Ladybug was in shock, Pathera knew her identity. Pathera’s eyes closed and her chest stopped moving. 

There was a flash of light, and a small cat creature -a tiny bit of her brain that wasn’t in shock told her it’s name was Plagg- desperately mumbled and poked at his holder.

Marinette kneeled by Pathera-Juleka-’s body and wailed.

\---

The next few minutes were a blur, and Ladybug didn’t know how but now she was standing next to the Couffaine houseboat.

She knocked on the cabin door and a slightly frazzled looking Luka opened it.

“Ju-oh.” Luka’s gaze shifted from relief to confusion in seconds.  
Luka’s eyes widened in horror as he must have realized why Ladybug would show up without Pathera/Juleka.

Ladybug flinched as Anarka called from somewhere else in the boat, “Who’s knockin at the door?” 

Luka led Ladybug through the boat, his entire brain on autopilot. Anarka was in the kitchen, humming slightly to herself when she spotted a solemn Ladybug beside him.

“Miss Couffaine, you may want to sit down.”

\---

Only half the class was not at school on Monday.

Ms.Bustier looked like a wreck, and her eyes kept darting over to Marinette, who suspected she Knew.

Rose was, unsurprisingly, not one of the half present.

Marinette couldn’t look towards the bakery when she went home, she knew in the fridge there was lemon cake for a customer who’d never come back. Tikki had spent all night trying to comfort a silently weeping cat kwami. 

Master Fu had spoken to them the day after, Everything, he had chosen another holder for the cat ring, and Marinette had screamed at him. She wasn’t even sorry.

The new cat was having their debut tomorrow, and Marinette tried not to be bitter but she couldn’t help it.

Marinette looked up, towards the stars,

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t save you.”


End file.
